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Scripps360, a new program designed to connect first years to resources, faculty, and each other, put on its first workshop Wednesday. Headed by Christopher Dennis, Assistant Dean and Director of Case management, the weekly Wednesday night event hopes to bring first years together to share experiences outside of the Core classroom and lecture hall. According to Christopher, the whole idea of the program is to learn “who you are, and who you can count on.”

The program will integrate seven core competencies of living well at Scripps, such like health & wellness. Because the first four weeks of the semester are so critical for students to get acclimated, Christopher and the whole team thought starting off Scripps360 with a wellness workshop would be the best way to set a foundation for the rest of the year.

Tiernan Fieldhouse Coordinators gave an interactive presentation on all of the resources available at the Fieldhouse for holistic wellness, as well as upcoming programs for stress management and fun. Deb Gisvold, the Director of the Fieldhouse, was especially excited to emphasize stress management this early in the semester. She says this kind of programming generally comes later in the year, usually during finals week, but understands that stress is not confined to the end of the semester, so It’s nice to disseminate this information in an early Scripps360 event for students to have at their disposal throughout the semester.

It was originally hoped that this first event would draw up to 200 first years. The actual turnout fell short of expectations, with 42 people in attendance. However, Christopher Dennis said he is not disappointed.

“We don’t get discouraged by humble beginnings,” Dennis said. “We want the expectation that the entire class is welcome.”

He says that they will continue to invite the entire first year class and be prepared for the whole class to attend, all the while growing and strengthening the program through a shared first year experience.

“As the room grows, it’ll continue a way for [students] to feel connected,” Dennis said.Looking forward, Christopher said he plans to take what he has learned from the first session to make the upcoming ones even better.

“Working on it as long as I have… I’m really excited to know that students are receiving it as well as they are,” he said.

First years can count on a Scripps360 event every Wednesday night at 7 p.m., incorporating workshops, peer-to-peer panels and other activities. Check your e-mail and Facebook throughout the week, or keep an eye out for the fliers to learn more.